


Sweet Sacrifice

by WinchesterDaeva, xtremeroswellian



Series: How to Save a Life [2]
Category: Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Beaches, Dancing, F/M, Friendship, Love, Nightmares, Pregnancy, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Sam Winchester, Stubborn Chloe Sullivan, Super sad ending, aladdin - Freeform, cabin fever, pregnancy hormones, yellow eyed demon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-22 22:56:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23935039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinchesterDaeva/pseuds/WinchesterDaeva, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: Things come to a head when Chloe starts getting visions of the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Clark Kent, Chloe Sullivan & Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester/Chloe Sullivan
Series: How to Save a Life [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725268





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe lay on the sofa in their three bedroom house, one hand resting on her swollen stomach lightly. The house was quiet, save the sound of a cricket chirping somewhere outside the window.

Damn thing. It was driving her completely bonkers.

Groaning, she slowly sat up, wincing a little as her back ached. Rising to her feet and determined to find the little bitch and kill it dead so she could take a nap, she headed for the kitchen. Kneeling down beneath the sink, she opened the cupboard and pulled out a large can of Raid.

She'd teach that bug a lesson about keeping a pregnant woman from her nap time if it took her all day to find it.

"And...do I really want to know what you're doing under the sink?"

"I'm getting a can of bug spray," she informed him, slowly climbing to her feet once more, holding up the can triumphantly.

Dean walked over and took the can from her, "Bed. Now."

"I can't sleep with that thing making all that noise!"

"Then I'll go find it! But I want you in bed!" He said, pointing towards the hallway.

Annoyed, she turned and headed down the hall after handing him the can of spray. "You find that thing and kill it or I will!" she said loudly, not noticing Sam standing in the doorway of his room as she passed.

"Yeah, yeah!" He called after her, then shook his head in amusement. He could tell Chloe was growing restless, not that he blamed her. He remembered when Sam had him on lock down after the whole bank thing. Turning around, he began to walk out the door, lost in thought.

Sighing, she sat down on the edge of the bed she and Dean shared, not in a good mood. She could still hear the stupid cricket, even after the room change and it was grating on her nerves so badly she wanted to tear her hair out. In reality, she just wanted to get out of the house, even if it was only for a few hours.

Creeping around the bushes, Dean finally located where he thought the cricket was. Taking off the cap, he sprayed a generous amount of the bug killer on the weeds, hoping that would kill it.

Resting her head in her hands, Chloe muffled the sound of an aggravated scream.

Dean heard the muffled noise from outside, "I think I got it Chloe!"

Silence. Sweet silence. Closing her eyes, she laid back on the bed, letting out a breath. Thank God.

Walking back into the house, he saw his brother had moved to the table. Smirking at him, he sat down, "This is fun."

"It was getting annoying," Sam said with a smirk.

"Well, yeah...true."

At that moment, the chirping began again and Sam winced as he heard glass shatter in the other room.

Dean looked down the hall, "...Shit."

"I'll go see if I can find the bug. You go see Chloe." Sam rose to his feet, taking the bottle of bug spray and heading for the door.

He nodded and strode down the hall and to Chloe's room. When he went inside, he winced at the broken window, "Dude, violence is never-" He cut himself off at the glare he received, "...Nevermind."

"I have to get out of this house." She stood at the closet, pulling out clean clothes and laying them on the bed.

Dean winced and walked around her tentatively, "Sure that's a good idea?"

"I haven't left in six weeks. If I don't get out, I'm going to go insane. And it won't be pretty, Dean."

He took another glance towards the window, "Yeah...okay, we can go."

"And I'm not just talking about in the front yard."

"Do you want...food maybe?"

A faint smile on her face as she began to change clothes, she nodded. "Food would be good."

He put his hands in his pockets, "And maybe...a movie?"

She paused, her eyes starting to twinkle. "You mean like a date?"

He smiled, "Maybe."

"I'd like that." She smiled back at him.

"Then I guess it's a date." He came over and sat on the bed, "Think we can get a babysitter this time of night for Sammy? Make sure he doesn't burn down the house or anything..."

She rolled her eyes. "I think Sam's old enough to look after himself and the house now." She finished changing clothes and turned to face him.

He smirked, "I dunno..."

Chloe slid her arms around his neck. "Sorry about the window."

He wrapped his arms around her lower back, "It's fine. I'm pretty sure I'd do the same thing..."

She rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Love you."

"Love you more." He whispered.

She kissed his cheek. "Let's get outta here."

"Alright." He took her hand and lead her out of the house and down the front steps where he saw Sam digging through the bushes and cussing, "Have fun there College Boy."

Guilt swept over Chloe as she watched Sam attempting to find the cricket that had been chirping and keeping her awake for the last several hours. "Sam."

He turned around, "Yeah?"

"You can stop. We're going out for awhile. Thanks." She met his gaze.

He smiled, "You guys have fun...and I'll just keep up the search. It'll give me something to do."

Her green eyes were soft. "We'll bring you back something to eat," she promised.

"Thanks."

"Sure." She smiled at him faintly before slowly heading toward the car.

Dean was standing at her door-side, waiting for her to get in, "You're so nice to him."

Chloe didn't quite meet his eyes as she slid in the car. "He's a good guy."

"I know he is." he said getting ready to shut the door, "He's my brother."

Looking out the window over to where Sam was on his hands and knees trying to find a bug for her, she smiled faintly. "Yeah. He is."

Hopping into the driver's seat, Dean shot Chloe a side glance, "Where you wanna go?"

She smiled at him and leaned back in the seat. "I don't care." It felt good to be outside. She rolled down the passenger side window and drew in a breath of fresh air.

"Oh you're making this so easy."

Chloe grinned and let her eyes close as he drove down the road.

Dean watched her from the side of his eye and smiled. He decided to take a detour to keep Chloe happy while he tried to figure out where they should eat.

Pretty soon her nostrils were assaulted by the smell of salty air and she opened her eyes. "Are we going to the beach?"

"Maybe...maybe not." He said slyly.

Chloe grinned. She hadn't been to the beach in what felt like forever and even though she was pregnant and didn't have a swimsuit, she could already feel the warm sand beneath her feet. "Have I mentioned I love you?"

"A couple of times...but I always love to hear you say it." He parked the car near the beech, then turned to her and smiled, "This alright for getting out?"

"Yeah, this is perfect." She unfastened her seatbelt, leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

He kissed her back and threaded his arms around her, pulling her close.

She smiled against his mouth, lifting one hand to his cheek.

Pulling away, he put his forehead against hers, "I love you soo much."

Her eyes were twinkling. "Likewise." She kissed his cheek softly.

"I want you to remember that, no matter what. Okay?"

"Ditto." Her eyebrows furrowed a little. "Is there something I should know?"

Dean shook his head and smiled, "Nothing."

Gazing at him uncertainly for a moment, she reluctantly let it go. "All right." She reached for the car door handle.

He reached for his as well, and was out of the car and on Chloe's side before she could open the door. Opening it for her, he grinned, "Can't let a lady open her own door."

She grinned and slid her hand into his when he offered it. "I haven't been to a beach in ages."

"Hey, me either."

Since it was nearly sunset, the beach was nearly empty as they walked down it hand-in-hand. "It's beautiful here," she murmured.

He nodded and brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it.

Her eyes sparkling, she turned to face him, sliding her arms around his neck.

"So I'd say we should slow dance...but there's no music."

"Who needs music?" She smiled and leaned her forehead against his.

Dean began to sway with her, "Yeah, you're right."

She rested her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

He closed his arms around her and pressed her close to his body, "I can't wait for this baby." He whispered.

Chloe smiled a little. "We should start thinking of names," she whispered back.

"You think so?"

"Well, he's gonna be here in four months. Probably a good idea."

He chuckled, "Well, what do you have in mind?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Michael?"

He thought for a minute, "I like that."

"What about a middle name?" she asked as they continued to slow dance to their own music.

"Thomas?"

"Michael Thomas Winchester," she murmured, a smile forming on her face.

"You like?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah. I do." She smiled and rested her forehead against his.

He smiled back, "Good."

Shifting closer to him, she closed her eyes once more as they danced in the light of the sunset, the gentle ocean waves lapping at the beach. It was the perfect moment.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe's eyebrows were furrowed as she slept in the hospital bed, one hand on her stomach. Her forehead was drenched in perspiration and her breathing was unsteady.

Chloe dreamed.

She watched as dream-Chloe rocked her infant son to sleep in the rocking chair in the nursery of their home. Watched as she laid him down in his crib. Watched as a presence appeared behind her, causing her to start fearfully.

It was a man with yellow eyes. "He's mine," he hissed, moving toward the crib.

Dream-Chloe screamed.

She shot up in the bed, a frightened scream escaping her lips and echoing off the walls of the empty room.

Dean had been on his way back to Chloe's room when he heard the terrified scream. He took off running and skidded to a halt outside her door and rushed in, "Chloe? Chloe, hey, you alright??"

Her eyes were filled with tears. "Where's Michael? Where is he?"

He gathered her in his arms, "He's down at the nursery. He's fine."

"No, I need to see him," she whispered urgently.

"No." He said, holding her struggling body, "You need to rest."

"No! I have to see him, Dean. I have to see him!" Her voice rose in pitch, fear coursing through her like she'd never felt before.

He was shocked at the fear he heard in her voice, "Chloe. What's going on?"

"He was here, Dean." A tear trickled down her cheek.

"Who was?"

"The demon. The demon was here. He was after Michael," she said, choking on a sob.

A stab of fear ran through Dean, "He...he couldn't have been here."

"I was rocking him to sleep in the nursery and he was there, Dean. Right behind me. He was gonna take Michael. I have to see him."

"He won't take him. I promise." He whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Please, go check on him."

He released her, "Okay, I'll be right back."

Nodding tearfully, she watched as he headed out the door. Stifling another sob, she threw the blankets off her legs and slowly slid out of bed, wincing in pain.

"The hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I have to see Michael," she whispered, dizziness washing over her as she moved slowly toward the closet to get some clothes.

Sam rushed in and caught her, "Oh no, you're staying in bed."

"No!" She struggled against him weakly, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Dean's going to check on him." He said soothingly, "You need to calm down."

"Sam, that demon's after him!"

He was shocked at her statement, "You know Dean won't let him take Michael."

"Neither will I." She swallowed hard.

"The baby's going to be fine. So are you. And so is Dean."

"I need to see Michael," she whispered. "Please, Sam."

His heart ached at her desperate cries, "Okay. I'll take you to him."

Chloe pressed her face against his shoulder. "Thank you."

He nodded and picked her up, "I think there's a wheelchair outside."

She slid her arms around his neck as he carried her out of the room and into the hallway, her face pale.

Putting her down gently into the chair he found, he began wheeling her down the hallway, "Dean's going to kill me."

"No, he's not." She leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes briefly. Her heart was beating quickly against her chest, fear still holding onto her in a tight grip.

"Yeah he is. He'll kill me." He said, pushing the chair a little faster.

"I won't let him." She pressed a hand against her stomach, letting out a slow breath.

He nodded and pulled to a stop in front of the nursery window...where his brother was.

"Sam." He said, not bothering to look over as he folded his arms.

Sam winced, "Yeah?"

"You realize you are so dead."

"Yep."

"Good."

"You are not going to kill Sam," Chloe said, shooting Dean a look and slowly rising to her feet to look in the nursery window.

Dean put a steadying arm around her and pointed, "He's right there."

She leaned her forehead against the glass, letting out a slow, pained breath. "I want him to stay in my room until we go home."

"I'll talk to them."

Nodding, she made no moves to sit down again, her hand pressed against the glass as she stared at her son.

"You need to be in bed."

"I don't wanna leave him."

"I'll get him to your room." He whispered.

"Promise?" she whispered back, tears welling in her eyes once more.

"Promise."

Chloe swallowed hard, wiping a tear off her pale and cheek and slowly sitting back down in the wheelchair, her body trembling involuntarily.

"Sammy, take her back to her room." He said, still not looking at his brother.

Sam bowed his head and nodded, he knew he was in trouble, "Okay."

Letting out a breath, she closed her eyes as Sam wheeled her down the hospital corridor silently.

After Sam and Chloe were out of sight, Dean let out a sigh. He knew this was going to happen. The demon was after them again. This time though, he wouldn't let him take Chloe, or his son. He'd make damn sure of that.

* * *

Chloe winced as she rose to her feet, moving back toward her bed somewhat unsteadily.

Sam came around and helped her the rest of the way to the bed, "You *do* know this'll be the last time you see me alive...right?"

"He's not going to kill you." She let out a breath as she laid down. "Promise." She bit her lower lip, her green eyes filled with anxiety.

"Yeah, yeah...whatever you say."

Chloe shut her eyes, forcing herself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly, more frightened now than she had been during labor.

"Everything's gonna be alright." He mumbled, sitting down next to her.

"No, it's not," she whispered.

"Yes it is. You just need to believe it."

"Sam, I've got this horrible feeling." Her voice was strained. "Something bad's gonna happen. Really bad." Her eyes watered and she turned her head to look at him.

He grabbed her hand, "What do you think's going to happen?"

"I don't know." A tear trickled down her cheek. "But I feel it."

"We'll get through it." He promised.

"He's not getting Michael."

"No. He's not."

Chloe drew in a breath. "I need you to do something for me."

"Yeah, anything."

"Go home and get my laptop?" she asked, looking over at him.

He stood up and nodded, "I'll do that."

"Thank you." She bit her lip and reached over to pick up the telephone off the table beside her bed.

"Welcome." He said, walking quickly from the room.

She dialed a number on the phone and waited as it began to ring. When she heard Lois's voice on the other line, she sat up slowly.


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later, Dean pushed open the door to their house with a wide smile, "Home at last."

Chloe stepped inside slowly, her skin still paler than normal as she looked around cautiously, as if something would jump out and attack one of them at any given moment. She was glad Dean was too busy holding Michael and showing him his home to notice.

He closed the door behind Chloe and proceeded to babble to his son, "And this...is the front room, where you and I are gonna have a ton of fun...and there's the kitchen...where we're gonna eat lots of food."

She watched him, pissed that this moment was ruined by her fear. She forced herself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Turning around, he stared at Chloe and frowned, "You alright?"

"Yeah, just a little tired," she whispered.

"You wanna go lay down?"

"Yeah, I think I will. Are you two okay for awhile?"

Dean looked down at the half-asleep baby in his arms, "We'll be just fine."

Nodding, she slowly turned and headed down the hallway, pausing in the doorway of the nursery that he'd fixed up and painted for their son. Biting her lower lip, she had a vivid flash from her nightmare and she quickly shut her eyes. "You can't have him, you son of a bitch," she whispered tensely. "He's my son."

In response, there seemed to be a sinister chuckle, floating on the wind.

She shuddered involuntarily. "You take me and you leave my family alone," she whispered angrily.

Only silence followed that comment.

Her body tense, she looked around the nursery once more before closing the door and stepping into the hallway. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up and she felt sick to her stomach.

* * *  
Chloe sat beside Dean in a booth at Mickey's Diner. He was holding Michael cradled in his arms, feeding him a bottle as Sam sat across from them. She watched for a few moments, her leg bouncing nervously beneath the table. It had been a long and yet short few weeks since they'd come home from the hospital.

Everything had appeared normal, no real signs of any demonic activity anywhere near their home, but Chloe felt it. The thing was biding its time and it kept her up frequently. Most nights she spent sitting beside Michael's bassinet in her rocking chair, wide awake.

She'd slept only a handful of nights since delivering the baby, and those nights were filled with horrible nightmares. In addition, she'd lost her appetite and had lost quite a bit of weight, something even her doctor had expressed concerned about.

She wasn't concerned about it. All that mattered was keeping her son safe.

Dean leaned forward, a frown on his face as he watched Chloe, "Honey, please eat."

"I will." She forced a smile, her normally sparkling eyes dull. "How's he doing?"

"Very...hungry."

A real smile tugged at her lips. "Well, he takes after you."

Dean laughed, "Yeah, you're right there."

Drawing in a breath, she forced herself to eat a couple of bites of her soup, barely tasting it.

After Michael had finished his bottle, Dean put him carefully onto his shoulder and began to burp him, "You sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Positive," she answered, forcing another smile. She avoided his gaze and didn't dare to look at Sam, either. Her responses had become a natural response over the last few weeks.

"Uh huh." He said skeptically. He knew Chloe hadn't really been the same since she'd gotten out of the hospital, and he'd let it go, but now it was becoming even more apparent that there was a problem.

She pushed the remainder of her soup away and downed a cup of coffee quickly. "I'm gonna head to the library if you guys are okay with Michael."

"No, you're going to eat."

"I did eat." She smiled and kissed his cheek, rising to her feet. "See you guys at home."

Dean sighed, "See you."

Chloe grabbed her purse from the space between them in the booth and headed for the door.

After Chloe had gotten out of earshot, Dean turned to his brother, "I'm worried Sammy."

Sam's eyes were filled with concern. "Yeah, me too."

"What...happened back in the hospital? Do you know?"

He hesitated. "Just that she had a nightmare about the demon."

"And she didn't tell you anything else?"

Sam looked down at the table. "She said she had a bad feeling that something was going to happen." He let out a breath.

"And...you didn't bother to tell me that?" Dean asked, anger rising a little.

"I figured *she* told you."

"Uh, no. She hasn't really been talking to me."

"Well, she hasn't really been talking to me either."

He sighed, "We need to find a way to get her to talk."

Sam was silent for a moment. "Maybe one of us should go to the library."

"It should be you."

His eyebrows rose. "Why?"

"Because...she likes to talk to you."

Sam looked at him in confusion. "Yeah, but she's your fiancee."

Dean sighed, "Still, she talks to you more than me."

He looked at the table, feeling guilty. "All right. I'll go. But you're paying for lunch." He smirked at his brother before standing up.

He glared at him as he pulled out his wallet, "You suck."

Sam grinned. "Jerk."

"Bitch."

Still smiling faintly, he headed for the door, both worried and dreading whatever was to come.

Back at the table, Dean practically mirrored his brother's feelings. Holding Michael close to him, he stood, leaving money on the table. He walked out a different door and over to the Impala, where he sat in the front seat with his son, and wondered what the future would bring.

* * *

Chloe sat at a table in the far corner of the library, her laptop and a table full of books on demonology spread out before her. She was so focused on her research she didn't even hear the footsteps approaching.

Quietly pulling out a chair, Sam sat down beside her and glanced over the books, "Alright, what's really going on Chloe?"

She jumped, startled at his sudden presence. "What are you doing here?" she asked nervously.

"I came to talk."

"Well, I'm just working on an article," she lied, quickly closing all the books.

"Okay, well, I know that's a lie." He said, leaning back in his chair.

Chloe didn't look at him, and she fell silent, staring at the table.

He grabbed one of her hands that was resting on the table, "Come on, you can talk to me."

Closing her eyes, she didn't pull her hand away. "The Demon's coming for Michael."

"What?"

"It's coming for Michael. The yellow-eyed demon." Her voice was quiet.

"God..." Sam ran his other hand down his face, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation.

"Then we need to get out of here."

"It doesn't matter, Sam. It doesn't matter if we run, he's gonna find us. It's just a matter of when."

"We can't just sit around and do nothing."

"I'm not."

"Then what are you doing?" He asked, leaning forward and staring at her intently.

"Researching. Trying to find some way to kill it." Her voice was tense. "I've gotten in contact with demonologists everywhere from LA to Hong Kong."

"Hong Kong...wow."

"I haven't turned up much. But apparently there's a gun that can kill any kind of demon in existence with one bullet."

"The colt." Sam whispered, looking away.

Chloe looked at him in surprise. "You've heard of it."

"Yeah..."

Her heart sank a little. "What is it?"

He looked up at her with sad eyes, "It almost got us all killed."

"What do you mean?"

"Just...something that happened about a year ago. Our dad found the colt...then the demon came after us."

"Your dad had the colt?" Her face paled.

"He did." Sam looked down at his hand, suddenly very interested in it.

"What happened when the demon came after you?"

"It tortured Dean. Then tried to get me to kill our dad, but I didn't do it. I didn't do it because Dean told me not to. But he died anyway."

Chloe's breath caught in her throat. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He shrugged, "It happened, it's over...but we don't know where the hell the Colt is."

Her heart sank even more, her stomach tightening. "Well, that's it then." Her voice was quiet.

"Hey, we'll figure this out."

"I already have." She didn't look at him as she shut her laptop and began to pile the books in one stack.

He raised an eyebrow, "How?"

"The demon wants my son. But he'll make a bargain." She avoided his eyes.

"Ohh hell no." Sam said quickly, "You are *not* going to go there."

Chloe didn't reply as she rose to her feet.

Sam rose as well, "Chloe. No."

"It's the only choice there is."

"There's other choices. Don't do this."

"He's not getting my son, Sam!"

"He's not going to get either of you!"

"Better me than Michael." She picked her purse up.

He stood in front of her, "Did you ever once think of Dean?"

"He'll be okay."

"No he won't."

"You'll make sure of it," she whispered, finally lifting her gaze to meet his. "You'll take care of him."

He shook his head, "No. You're not understanding what this'll do to Dean. I won't be able to take care of him."

Chloe held her breath for a moment. "I'll figure out something. I promise."

"You're going to let me and Dean help."

"No. Dean doesn't know about this." Her eyes were intense. "Swear it."

He looked away, "I can't do that."

She moved so she was standing in front of him. "You *have* to!"

"You can't ask me to do that! He's my brother! Hell, he's your fiance!" Sam tried to keep his voice down, "Why do you want to do this to him?"

"You think I want to do this, Sam? You think I wanna die and not get to see my son grow up?" Her eyes filled with tears.

"You're not going to-"

"Yes, I am. Because it's better than him not growing up at all."

Sam put his hands on Chloe's shoulders, "I want you to listen to me. You're not going to die. You're going to let Dean in on this whole thing. And we'll all find a way to get through this."

"If there was any other way to do this, don't you think you guys would've killed this thing by now?"

"It just takes time, we'll kill it."

"Time is one thing we don't have," she said quietly, slowly pulling away from him.

"We do." He said, "You just need to let Dean know what's going on."

Chloe shut her eyes. "If I do..."

"He'll be glad."

"He'll try to stop me."

"Of course he will."

She stared at him. "Don't you understand?"

"Yeah, I do." He said, staring back, "I just don't think you understand."

"I understand if I don't do something, my son's going to die. And I'm not gonna let that happen."

"Look, if you die and Dean knows that he could've stopped it, it'll kill him." Sam said quietly, "Then your son will grow up with stories about his parents. And he'll never understand why his daddy killed himself, and why his mom disappeared."

Chloe's face paled even more than it already was and she flinched. "Don't say that."

"No. I need to say that. And you need to hear it."

She turned away from him. "Dean wouldn't do that."

He went around her and faced her, "You don't know what hell he's been through in his life. Your death *will* push him over the edge."

She shut her eyes, trembling as she pressed a hand to her face. "What the hell am I supposed to do, Sam?"

He pulled her into a hug, "Tell Dean."

Chloe pressed her face against his shirt, weeping softly.

Sam felt tears come to his own eyes at the thought that Dean might actually lose someone else that he loved, "I'll be there when you tell him." He whispered.

She shuddered involuntarily, dread overtaking her.

"Chloe..."

"What?" She slowly pulled away from him.

"Promise me you'll tell him."

"I will." She didn't meet his eyes.

He gently grabbed her chin and turned it so she was looking at him, "Promise."

Chloe swallowed hard. "I promise."

He hugged her again, "Thank you."

She shut her eyes, slowly winding her arms around his waist. She just hoped Sam knew what he was talking about. Because everything within her was screaming not to tell Dean about this.

No good could possibly come of this situation.


	4. Chapter 4

Chloe had been silent the rest of the day, avoiding Sam and Dean both like the plague. She knew if she didn't tell Dean what was going on, Sam would. And it wouldn't be good. Not that it was going to be good coming from her, either. But he had a tendency to get much more upset with Sam than he did with her.

When night fell and she laid Michael down for bed, she reluctantly found herself standing at the edge of the living room. Dean was on the sofa, his arms folded across his chest as he watched some animal show on Discovery. Sam sat at his computer, but looked up as soon as she stepped in the room.

Dean looked up as well, "Hey."

"Hey." Her voice was hushed. "Can we talk?" Dread weighed upon her heavily like a herd of elephants.

He shot a concerned look to his brother and stood, "Yeah, of course."

Chloe slowly moved to sit down in the chair across from the sofa. "You should probably sit."

Puzzled, he slowly sat down on the edge of the couch, "Ohhkay..."

She was silent for a moment, but not one to beat around the bush, she reluctantly looked at him. "The demon's coming for Michael."

He looked down and swore softly, "I knew it."

She looked down, as well, falling silent.

"We need to get you two out of here."

Chloe shook her head. "No."

He looked back up at her, "What do you mean 'No.'?"

"I mean no." Her voice was quiet. "The thing's gonna find us whether we're here at home or if we're in Tahiti. It doesn't matter."

"We can still keep under the radar."

"Can we? Really?" Chloe gazed at him intently. "Because from what I know, this thing knows just about everything."

"We can sure as hell try." He shot back harshly.

"It's not gonna be enough." Her voice wasn't harsh, it was simply honest.

Dean took her hand, eyes becoming desperate, "Why are you giving up so easily?"

Chloe met his gaze with sad eyes. "Because I'm not letting this bastard get Michael," she whispered.

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to let it get him either."

She saw Sam rise to his feet out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored him, nodding intently at Dean.

Dean sat back for a minute, thinking about what Chloe had said, "And there's no way in hell you're giving yourself to him."

"We don't really have many options. The colt is gone. It could be anywhere." She sat back in her seat, not meeting his eyes.

"I don't give a damn about that!" He slammed his fist on the table, "I'm not going to lose either of you!"

Chloe gazed at him calmly, then sighed as she heard Michael begin to wail from the other room. She rose to her feet.

He rose as well, "No. You stay here."

"In case you didn't know this, I don't take orders," she said defiantly, turning and walking toward the nursery to get her son.

Dean followed her and caught her shoulder, "Well that's just too damn bad."

Chloe glared at him. "I'm going to get our son, whom you woke up."

"Well, he wouldn't have woken up if you hadn't gone all hopeless and shit."

"I'm being realistic," she snapped.

"No you're not!"

"The hell I'm not, Dean!" Chloe shook her head. "This is the same demon you guys have been hunting for over *twenty* years. You haven't been able to kill it. No one's been able to kill it!"

"Then I guess this time we *will* kill it."

"Yeah, because it's just that easy." She turned on heel and headed into the nursery, slowly picking Michael up out of his bassinet and cradling him close to her. "It's okay, sweetheart," she whispered.

Dean threw his hands up and walked toward the front door, "Damn woman's impossible."

Sam looked at him worriedly. "Where are you going?"

"Out. What's it look like?"

"Yeah, that's gonna solve things," he said under his breath, sinking back down onto the chair.

Yanking the door open, Dean strode angrily out to his car and got in. After that, he just sat there, thinking. He couldn't let Chloe sacrifice herself to the demon for their son, and he couldn't lose his son. So he'd have to do the only thing he knew how to do...

* * *

Chloe held Michael in her arms, rocking him gently in the rocking chair as a tear found its way down her face. "It's gonna be okay," she whispered to him.

Another sinister laugh floated through the air.

Jerking her head up in alarm, she cradled Michael closer, quickly jumping to her feet. "Dean! Sam!"

Sam came running down the hallway and into the nursery, "What? What is it?"

"You didn't hear that?" There was terror in her eyes, her voice strained.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Hear what?"

"It's here." Her face drained of all color and she pushed Michael into his arms.

He took Michael, then grabbed Chloe, "If he's here, you're not staying in here!"

"Just get him out of here," she said urgently, looking around the nursery wildly, fear clutching at her.

Sam kept his grip strong on her and pulled her out of the nursery, "Don't be stupid, Chloe."

Too frightened to argue, she let him pull her out of the nursery, down the hall and quickly out of the house.

Dean jumped as he heard the front door slam shut and Sam and Chloe run out of the house. Quickly getting out of the car, he ran over to them, "What the hell's going on?"

"It's in there." Her voice was strained, her body trembling.

"Stay with her Sammy." He whispered to his brother as he rushed by her and into the house. Once inside, Dean crept down to his son's nursery and cautiously began looking around.

"Go help him!" Chloe said fearfully.

Sam hesitated.

"Sam, go! Please!" Her voice broke and she took Michael from his arms.

He nodded and ran into his house and down to the nursery where he saw his brother looking around, "Find anything?" He whispered softly.

Dean shook his head, staying silent.

Sam looked around, as well, his heart thudding in his chest. "If the demon was here, there should be a sulpher trail," he whispered almost inaudibly.

"I know."

Feeling uneasy, the two of them began to search the house from top to bottom.

After almost an hour of searching the house, Dean finally came outside, his brother tailing him closely, "There's nothing there."

"No, he was there!" Chloe said, looking like she could pass out at any minute.

Dean took her quickly in his arms, "He's not...not anymore."

A soft sob escaping her, she pressed her face against his shoulder, still cradling Michael in her arms as though he might vanish any second.

"How about we get out of here?" He whispered.

Chloe swallowed hard, nodding but not speaking.

Leading her to the car, he took Michael out of her arms and placed him carefully in the carseat, before opening the passenger door for Chloe and motioning for his brother to get into the back seat.

Shooting Dean a worried look, Sam climbed in the backseat without hesitation.

"Where are we going?" she whispered.

"Away." He whispered back.

Her eyes stung with hot tears and she shut them as he started the car.

Pulling away from the house, Dean accelerated as fast as the car would let him.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam traded places with Chloe at the grocery store hours later so she could feed Michael a bottle. Dean stood outside the car, faced away from them, and Sam closed the passenger door before gazing at him. "Dean."

He still didn't turn around, "What Sammy?"

"You all right, man?" he asked quietly.

"Sure."

He slowly moved around to the other side of the car where his brother stood, leaning against the Impala beside him. He was silent for a long moment. "What can I do?"

"Get Dad and the Colt back."

Sam closed his eyes. If only that were possible.

Dean sighed and shifted, "You need to get Chloe and Michael far away from me."

"Forget it, Dean. If anything this thing's after me."

"I know that's not true. You know that's not true."

"No?" Sam looked at him. "The demon has plans for me. It killed Mom and Jess because of me. What the hell makes you think it's not after me and using Chloe and Michael to do it?"

"Chloe and Michael are my family Sammy." Dean said, finally rolling his head toward his brother.

There was a moment of silence. "They're mine too," he said quietly, looking away.

Dean pushed off the Impala and stood directly in front of Sam, "Is Michael *your* son?"

"No," he whispered. "He's my nephew."

"Exactly. He's after *my* son. It has nothing to do with you. You hear me?"

Sam didn't respond, simply shut his eyes.

"So I want you get them out of here. And far away from me." He grabbed Sam's shoulders, "Can you do that for me?"

"Dean, this is a bad idea," he whispered.

"How?"

"What makes you think the demon's not gonna come after them even if we are away from you?"

Dean ran a hand through his short, spiky hair, "I...I don't know."

"We have a better chance of beating this thing if we all stick together."

"How, Sam? How are we going to beat this?" He asked, despair very evident in his voice.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But you know as well as I do we have a better shot of protecting them if we're together, man."

"You're right..."

Sam blew out a breath and looked in the back window where Chloe was cradling and feeding Michael. "She needs sleep."

Dean nodded, "But how do you expect her to sleep?"

"I don't know." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Unless I knock her out..."

Sam gave him a look.

"That's the only way she's gonna sleep." He said, shrugging.

"You're not gonna knock her out, Dean!"

"I know that, you idiot."

He sighed and pushed away from the car, looking around the parking lot.

"We need to find some place to stay, and I need to go back and get our things from the house." Dean said, beginning to pace.

"You should stay with them. I'll go back."

"Sam, don't argue."

He sighed heavily.

"Just don't tell Chloe I went."

"What I am supposed to tell her when she asks where you went, Dean?"

He shrugged, "Something. I don't know."

He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "Fine."

"Thanks man."

Nodding a little, he slowly moved around toward the passenger seat. "We'll find a hotel."

Getting to the driver's door, Dean nodded, "Sounds good."

He glanced in the rearview at Chloe. "How ya doing?"

"Where are we going?" she responded.

"Hotel."

She slowly strapped Michael into the carseat once more, his eyes closing as he began to doze off.

Dean let out a sigh as he drove aimlessly around town, trying to find a good place for them to stay.

"Dean." Sam's voice was quiet as he nodded toward a Super 8.

He made a face but turned into the parking lot anyway.

Chloe stared blankly out the window, barely aware of anything going on around her.

Stopping the car, Dean turned to Sam, "Can you go...?"

"I'll get a room," he confirmed, climbing out of the car.

"Thanks."

Nodding, Sam headed away, leaving Dean and Chloe alone in the car with their sleeping son.

"Chloe, look at me." He whispered.

She blinked slowly and turned her gaze to meet his.

"You're safe."

Chloe looked at their son. It wasn't her safety that she was worried about.

"Michael's safe too."

"For how long?" she whispered almost inaudibly.

"The rest of his life." He promised.

She blinked back tears. "We'll all be okay?"

He gave her a forced smile, "Yeah, we'll all be okay."

He was lying. Trying to make her feel better. Forcing herself to smile back, she simply nodded.

Dean knew that smile as soon as it appeared on her face. Knew that she knew he was just trying to make her feel better, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered. "Where's Sam?"

"He's getting us a room."

"Oh," she whispered.

"I want you to get some sleep tonight."

Chloe bit her lip and stared out the window again.

He grabbed her hand and kissed it, "Please?"

"I'm not sure I can," she admitted in a whisper.

"I'll be there for you." He whispered back.

Nodding tearfully, she forced herself to take a deep breath. She was exhausted.

Sam came back to the car and handed a few keys to Dean, "I got separate rooms so you guys could have your space."

"Thanks, man."

Chloe slowly unfastened the car seat and pulled Michael out gently, pressing a kiss to his forehead and reaching for the door handle.

Dean shot out of the car as she tried to open the door. In no time, he'd pulled it open for her, "You really should wait for me."

She offered him a small smile as she climbed out of the backseat.

He smiled back, then opened the motel room door, with a sigh, "Home sweet home."

* * *

Chloe put Michael in his crib, watching as he began to fall asleep, a peaceful look on his face. She smiled softly. And then she heard it: the same sinister laugh that had been haunting her since right after Michael was born. Frightened, she turned to see a figure standing in the doorway.

She screamed.

Sam heard the scream from his room and ran through the door connecting their rooms, "Chloe!"

She sat up in bed, trying to find a light to turn on, convinced that the demon was there in the room somewhere. "Michael!" The lamp crashed to the floor, shattering.

He dashed forward as the lamp shattered, "Chloe! You're alright! Michael's alright!"

"No, he's here! I saw him!"

"No one's here! You're safe." He lowered his voice, "You're fine."

"Please turn the light on," she whispered, shuddering as she climbed out of bed.

Going over to the wall, he flipped the light on, "See? Nothing."

Her face deathly pale, she looked around the room, trembling violently. "Where's Dean?"

Sam looked around and bit his lip, "He's okay. He just went out."

"Where?" she whispered, shaking her head, as the panic began to build within her.

"To make sure everything's secure around here. He'll be back."

Feeling sick, she started for the door, wincing as her bare foot came down hard on shattered glass. She ignored it and moved forward.

Getting in front of her, Sam picked her up and put her back on the bed, "There's no way you're leaving."

"I have to find Dean." She started to get up again.

"He'll be back." He said, pushing her back down, "Besides, you're bleeding."

"I don't care!"

"Yeah, well I do! And Dean'll kick my ass if he knows you're walking around like this!"

Her face crumpled as she started to cry softly.

He pulled her into a tight hug, "Shhh....it'll be okay."

Pressing her face against his shoulder, she gripped onto his shirt as she cried.

It wasn't going to be okay.

It couldn't possibly be.

* * *

Dean yawned as he parked the Impala back into the spot it had been the night before. Leaving all of their stuff in the car, he walked up to the door and prayed that Chloe was still asleep when he walked in the door.

She wasn't. She was wide awake on the bed, Michael asleep in her arms as Sam was cleaning up the shattered glass on the floor.

As he walked in, he was shocked at what he saw, "What the hell happened?"

Letting out a breath, Sam glanced up at him before dumping the glass into trash can. "Chloe had a nightmare."

"I broke the lamp," she said dully.

Dean winced, "Ouch."

Sam sighed softly and rose to his feet, nodding toward the far side of the room and looking at his brother.

He followed him to the side, "Yeah?"

"You gotta stay with her man. She was freaking out earlier."

"I plan on it." He said quietly, "I just needed to get our stuff."

Nodding, he looked at Chloe worriedly. "She was really scared when you weren't here. And you might wanna check on her foot. I wrapped it, but..."

"Woa, what happened to her foot?" Dean asked, panic rising in him.

"She stepped on the glass trying to get to the door to find you," Sam said softly.

"Damn it." He looked back over at her, then back to his brother, "Okay...you can go...do something...I don't know."

"I'll be next door if you need me." Sam headed for the door that connected their rooms.

Dean nodded, "Thanks for taking care of her."

He paused, biting his lower lip and nodding. "Sure thing," he whispered before ducking into his own room.

Turning around, Dean went over and crawled onto the bed beside Chloe, "Hey."

"Hey," she whispered back, meeting his gaze.

"You alright?"

"Not really." Chloe swallowed hard, looking down at their infant son asleep in her arms.

Dean wrapped his arms arouund her, and kissed the top of her forehead, "I love you."

"I love you too. So much." Her voice was choked.

"We'll make it through this." He said, trying not to let his voice crack as he heard her voice.

"Promise me," she whispered.

"I promise."

Chloe kissed him softly on the lips, wanting so badly to believe him, it hurt.

He kissed her back, putting a hand to her cheek.

At that moment the door connecting their room to Sam's flew open and he stepped inside. "Dean!" There was a hint of excitement in his voice.

Chloe looked up, startled.

Dean looked up as well, just as startled as Chloe, "What?!"

"I just got a call from Bobby. Dean, he has the Colt."

He jumped off the bed, "He does?"

"He got it from some hunter at the Roadhouse. It's in tact." He gazed at his brother intently.

Chloe's heart skipped a couple of beats. "*The* Colt?"

"In tact. There's a bullet left still?" Dean asked, shocked beyond belief.

"Man, I don't know how, but that's what he said."

He turned around, a real smile appearing on his face and he walked back over to Chloe, "We really are gonna be okay."

Her eyes welling with tears, this time for a different reason, she looked down at Michael and smiled.

Getting back onto the bed, he held her and Michael close to him.

Sam couldn't help but smile. Things were gonna be okay after all.


	6. Chapter 6

The day of Michael's six month birthday brought tension and anxiety for every member of the Winchester-Sullivan household, even little Michael himself. Seeming to sense the fear in the air, he fussed all day long and refused to take a nap even when Chloe laid down with him. The past few months had gone by quickly--far too quickly for Chloe's liking.

After the guys had retrieved the Colt from Bobby she'd finally began to sleep and eat again, feeling like they had an actual chance of surviving this whole mess in tact. But now that the day was here, she was dreading what it would bring. She didn't let her son out of her sight the entire day, and Dean and Sam didn't let either of them out of their sights, either.

Dean coughed as he sat in the couch beside Chloe. The tension was almost too much for him, and he had to find a way to get rid of some of it. Even if it was just for the sake of Michael. Glancing at Chloe, he finally spoke up, "We need to do something."

"Like what?" she asked uncertainly.

"No idea."

"We could...play a game."

Chloe looked over to where Sam was sitting in the lounge chair.

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "Monopoly? Uno? Scrabble?"

Dean leaned back into the couch with an exaggerated sigh, "Dude, college really killed your sense of *fun* games."

"What? You wanna play strip poker with your brother and infant son in the room?" Sam shot back.

"From one extreme to another." Dean grumbled.

"Well, what do you wanna do?"

Chloe drew in a deep breath, trying to pretend she didn't notice the tension amongst them getting worse.

"Something not boring. That's for damn sure."

"Well that's helpful," Sam said dryly, looking up at the ceiling.

Sighing, Dean looked toward Chloe, "You have any ideas?"

"We could watch a movie," she said, glancing back at him.

He smiled, "I like movies."

"I know you do." Her eyes were soft.

Getting up, he walked over to the TV cabinet the had and looked through the few movies they had, "What you wanna watch?"

"I don't care. Whatever you wanna see." She pressed a kiss to Michael's forehead.

Smirking, he pulled out the only Disney movie they owned: Aladdin.

Chloe grinned. That was still one of her all-time favorite movies. She leaned back on the sofa and glanced over to where Sam was sitting.

Sam only rolled his eyes at the movie, "Oh this'll be fun."

"Oh come on. You know you like Aladdin," she teased.

"Oh, of course Sammy likes Aladdin. It was only the only movie he'd let us watch for three weeks straight." Dean said, coming over and sitting beside Chloe.

She grinned. "Always been one of my favorites, too." She kissed the top of her son's head again and leaned back against Dean.

He grinned, "Mine too."

She watched as the opening credits began to play, then cast a glance over at Sam. "Hey."

He raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"

Chloe shifted Michael in her arms and patted the seat beside her. "Come join the rest of the family."

Getting up from his chair he came over and sat down by her, "Oh fiiine."

She grinned, relaxing back against Dean and focusing on the movie.

As the man at the beginning began singing, Dean began to hum along with it.

Chloe's grin widened a little. "Oh I come from a land from a faraway land where the caravan camels roam."

"Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense." He leaned forward and looked at her, with a smile, "It's barbaric, but hey, it's home."

She giggled involuntarily.

"Where the wind's from the East and the Sun's from the West and the sand in the glass is right." Sam shook his head in amusement as he joined in.

It stayed like that through pretty much the rest of the movie, and the tension that was so thick in the air finally lightened immensely. Smiling as the credits rolled, Dean looked toward Chloe, "That was fun."

She smiled. "Yes, it was." She kissed him on the cheek, and looked down at their sleeping son. She carefully shifted him into Dean's arms.

He looked down at the bundle in his arms, "He's getting big."

"Yeah he is," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.

"He's gonna be a lady killer when he grows up."

"Like father, like son," Chloe said wryly.

"Hell yes."

She smile and pressed another kiss to his cheek. A wave of dread washed over her as she heard a sinister laugh inside her head.

Dean frowned as her expression changed, "You alright?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "Yeah." She looked at him for a moment, then shifted her gaze to Michael, and finally Sam.

She had a sick, horrible feeling it would be the last time the four of them were ever together.

* * *

Chloe kissed Dean's cheek as she took Michael from him and cradled him close. "I think it's time for bed for this little one," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead and slowly rising to her feet.

Dean rose to his feet as well and stared down at his son, "Definitely time for bed."

A pang of nervousness went through her and she forced it away. It was all gonna be all right. They had the Colt. If the demon showed up, Dean and Sam would kill it. They'd kill it before it had a chance to hurt Michael or her. Relaxing a little, she smiled as Dean kissed Michael's forehead, the baby's eyes drifting shut sleepily.

He rubbed his thumb over his son's forehead after he kissed him, "Love ya buddy."

She kissed Dean's cheek once more and slowly headed down the hall toward the nursery.

What Chloe didn't know when she walked into the room was the fact that there was a dark figure standing in the corner. Hiding in the shadows. Watching. Waiting.

Feeling an odd sense of deja vu, Chloe paused for a moment before slowly laying Michael in the crib. The lights flickered and the breath caught in her throat, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. "Just my imagination," she said under her breath.

"Yes, just your imagination."

A cold chill ran down her back as she slowly turned to see the figure in the corner.

It smiled and stepped out of the shadows, "What? No greeting?"

"Fuck you," she said harshly, icy tendrils of fear wrapping around her spine.

"Oh, now that wasn't a very nice thing to say to a guest." It said with mock-hurt.

"An unwelcome guest." Keeping herself between the demon and her son's crib, she cast a glance toward the door.

"Don't worry...I'm just here for one thing..."

"You're not getting my son." A scream escaped her as her body was suddenly propelled through the air and thrown against the wall, horror gripping her as she found herself staring down at Michael's sleeping face as she was pinned to the ceiling. Pain shot across her stomach as a large gash appeared, blood dripping onto the crib below.

It chuckled as it stared up at her terrified face. It fed off the fear she was experiencing, and only looked down when the door burst open and both Winchester brothers came through.

Dean had the Colt pointed at the demon, "Let her go you son of a bitch."

Chloe cried out as her body crashed down onto the floor heavily.

Sam rushed toward her as Dean rushed toward the crib where he grabbed his son and kept his gun trained on the demon. "Sam, get her and come take Michael out of here."

Pain ripped through her as Sam helped her to her feet. She pressed a hand against her stomach.

Picking her up, Sam rushed her out to the couch and put her down gently before rushing back into the room and taking Michael from Dean.

"Now, I think we have something to settle." Dean growled, shifting his stance now that he didn't have Michael in his arms.

The demon smirked at him. "You think so?"

"Yeah. I do."

"But I'm not after you, Dean. It was never about you." He smirked a bit more.

"You think I care? I don't care who you're after, I'm going to stop you."

"You sure you want to?" He moved around Dean, resting a hand on the crib. "It's your brother I want," he hissed.

"Well, you're not getting him." Dean snarled.

The demon smiled at him, his eyes yellow and turning to look at Sam, who stood in the doorway with a shotgun filled with rocksalt. "Why don't you tell big brother why I'm here, Sammy?"

Sam stood with a glare on his face, "I don't know why the hell you're here."

He grinned. "Sure you do. This has always been about you."

He rolled his eyes, "Of course it is."

"Why don't you tell Dean how you feel about his wife?"

Dean glanced over at his brother, "Sammy?"

Sam shook his head, "I don't know what he's talking about."

The demon looked at Dean. "Little Sammy's been in love with her this whole time. Wishes that baby was his own, too. Don't you, Sam?"

"You're lying." Dean said, cocking his gun.

"Am I?" he whispered, watching the color drain from Sam's face. "Ask yourself why he's so protective of her, Dean-o."

"He protects her because he loves her, but not in the way I do." Dean whispered, barely controlling his rage.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." He turned to look at Sam. "Does it bother you that she chose him?"

Sam turned away from the gaze and closed his eyes.

Dean also looked at his brother and felt his heart drop, "Sam..."

"Don't."

The demon grinned, satisfied at the pain it felt from both of the men in the room. "And Chloe's known all along, too."

Whipping his head back to the demon, Dean began advancing on him, "You sick son of a bitch."

Without another word, the demon leapt out of the nursery window, taking off at a dead run.

Tucking the gun into the small of his back, Dean made to go after it, "Look after Chloe."

"Clark's on his way," Sam responded, cocking his shotgun and heading for the window.

"How the hell do you know that?"

"I called him."

"Good." With that, he dove out the window and began to run in the direction the demon had headed.

***

Chloe lay on the sofa with Michael in her arms, wincing as she kept one hand pressed against her stomach where the blood was oozing out. Her heart was pounding heavily and she was waiting for a gunshot, something to signal that the demon was dead. That Dean and Sam were safe. Instead, she found herself staring wide-eyed at Clark Kent.

"Chloe!" He rushed over to her and kneeled beside her as he saw the blood, "God...what the hell happened to you?"

"Clark, what are you doing here?" she asked in confusion, looking toward the hallway.

"Sam called."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Go check on them. In the nursery. Hurry, Clark!"

He did what he was told and came back seconds later with a bewildered look on his face, "They're...not there."

"What?" She sat up, alarmed.

He came over and pushed her back down, "They're gone...but I'm sure they'll be back."

"No, Clark, the demon was here. You have to go find them!"

"No, I'm going to take care of you. You're bleeding."

"I'm fine! It's a superficial wound! Please, go find them!"

He was about to protest when the front door slammed open. Dean and Sam came through the door, Dean throwing down his gun, "Son of a bitch!"

"Dean!" Chloe's voice broke and she gently pushed Michael into Clark's arms, rising to her feet to move to his side.

Dean took her into his arms and hugged her fiercely.

She buried her face against his neck, trembling. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, "I'm fine." Then picking her up, he put her on the couch and walked towards the bathroom, "You're not though."

"It's not that big of a deal." The paleness of her face spoke otherwise, however. There was a large bloodstain on her shirt.

Rolling his eyes, he came back with the first aid kit and gently pulled her shirt up, immediately paling at all the blood that was on her, "God..."

"I'm all right, Dean," she whispered, reaching out and running her fingers through his hair.

Clark stood back, alarmed by the large gash on her abdomen as he gently bounced Michael in his arms. "What happened?"

"Demon." Sam whispered, shocked as well at the sight before him.

"Chloe, we need to get you to a hospital," He said worriedly, looking at the Winchester's.

Dean nodded as he covered the wound with gauze and wrapped it, "We do."

She winced at the pressure, unable to hold back a cry of pain.

He winced as well, then picked her up, "And we're going now."

"The demon," she whispered, her head falling weakly against his shoulder.

"We'll get it." He whispered back, stepping through the front door as soon as Sam opened it. Walking down the front steps, he opened the back door of his Impala and slid her in gently, then stood and fished his keys out of his pocket and gave them to Clark, "Take care of them, okay?"

"No, where are you going?" Chloe asked fearfully, grabbing his arm.

"I'm going to kill this thing."

"Please...stay with me." Her voice was weak, her eyes pleading.

I can't." He whispered, choking back tears.

"Yes you can. I need you. Please." She grasped his shirt with one hand.

He bent down beside her and ran one of his hands through her hair, "I know, but this demon...if I don't go now-"

"I don't care," she said fiercely, pressing her lips against his.

He kissed her back, but pulled away quickly, "I have to go."

"No," Chloe protested, trying to grab his shirt again.

Swallowing back the lump in his throat, he gently pulled her hands away, "I'm sorry."

A sob escaped her. "Dean, please...stay with me." The feeling of dread she'd had for the past few months welled up within her. "Please."

"I'll come back." He whispered, tears beginning to well in his eyes.

"Promise me." Her voice was strained and she whimpered as pain shot through her stomach as she cried softly.

He bent down and kissed her, drawing it out.

"Promise me," she whispered against his mouth. "You come back to me."

"I promise. I'll come back."

Chloe felt her heartbreaking as he pulled away from her, another tear slid down her cheek and she held her breath.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you," she whispered back.

Wiping away the tears that formed in his eyes, he cleared his throat and turned to Clark, "Take care of her and Michael."

"I will," he promised, looking worried as he slid into the driver's seat of the Impala.

Nodding, he shut Chloe's door and let his hand linger on the door before Clark began pulling out of the driveway.

She pressed her hand against the glass against his, another sob escaping her.

Dean watched until the car was out of sight before turning to his brother, "We need to call Ash."

"Man, are you all right?"

"Not really."

His eyes were filled with worry as he looked at his brother. "She'll be okay," he whispered, though he was worried, too.

"Yeah. I know." He said, rubbing a hand down his face.

"I'll make the call," Sam said quietly, turning and heading back into the house, every muscle in his body tense.

Dean followed his brother into the house. They needed to get ready for this, because it was gonna be one hell of a battle.

***

Within thirty minutes, Ash had located the demon with his computer. Sam slowly hung up the phone, turning to look at his brother, his heart thundering in his chest. "Found it."

The older Winchester looked up from the guns he was currently checking, "Where?"

"Few blocks from here. Near the hospital," he said grimly.

"Damn it." Dean threw the rest of the guns in his cloth bag and slung it over his shoulder, "Lets go."

Nodding, Sam followed his brother out the door. One way or another, this was going to end tonight.

Walking out the door, Dean swore when it occurred to him that he'd let Clark take the Impala. Looking back at his brother, he sighed, "We need to steal a car."

Nodding without hesitation, Sam glanced around. "The Wilson's are out of town for the week. We'll take theirs."

"Works for me."

Quickly moving across the lawn, Sam knelt down beside the driver's door and picked the lock quickly.

After Sam had gotten the door unlocked, Dean opened the door and quickly got under the dash, starting the car within a minute.

He moved around to the passenger side and jumped in as Dean slid behind the wheel. Sam gave him directions, feeling tense and worried.

Dean didn't let up on the accelerator the whole way to their destination. Once they were near their destination, he slammed on the breaks and hopped out of the car.

"We need a plan," Sam said as he climbed out of the car, as well.

"We have one. Go after the son of a bitch and kill it."

"Dean..." He swallowed hard, following him quickly.

He stopped and turned, "What?"

Sam stopped in his tracks, guilt racking him. "What the demon said..."

He held his hand up and shook his head, "It's all good."

"No, it's not," he whispered.

"Well it's going to have to be for now."

Sam drew in a breath. "Okay." His voice was quiet.

Sensing something around them, Dean pulled his gun from the back of his jeans and held it in front of him.

He started to say something when he suddenly found himself thrown hard against a tree. Hard enough to knock all the air from his lungs and make him feel dizzy.

"Sammy!" Dean ran toward his brother, "Damn it. You okay?"

He winced. "Fine...God." He tried to move, but found some unseen force held him in place. Not again, he thought, feeling sick.

His eyes went wide when he realized his brother was frozen to the spot. Whipping around, Dean shifted the gun from one side to the other, "Let him go!"

"Now where's the fun in that?" The demon stepped out from behind another tree, taking a swing and knocking Dean hard to the ground.

Dean saw stars as he fell to the ground, "Son of a-"

"Now, now...don't talk about my mother that way," he said, tsking. "You wouldn't want me to talk about YOUR mother that way, would you?" He smirked.

"You think...you're so clever." He shot back, standing slowly, "Your evil villain talk sucks."

The demon smirked again. "How about this? When I finish boiling your brothers insides, I'm going to drag you to the hospital and make you watch as I kill your pretty blonde girlfriend," he hissed, his eyes shining yellow in the darkness.

Dean raised his gun and cocked it, "You leave my family alone."

"Oh. I'm shaking." Raising his chin a little, he watched in satisfaction as the gun flew out of Dean's hand, landing several feet away. Then he turned his attention to Sam. "You're a lot more trouble than you've ever been worth." His eyes darkening, he smiled at Sam's screams of pain.

Growling, he launched himself at the demon, rage surging through him as he heard his brother's screams.

The demon turned just in time to grab Dean by the throat, squeezing hard.

"Dean!" Sam struggled to break free of the thing's hold on him, gritting his teeth.

Dean choked at the pressure the thing put on his neck. He fought back, trying to give air to his starved lungs.

With a powerful surge, the demon tossed Dean away like a ragdoll, squeezing his hand into a tight fist and smiling broadly when the eldest Winchester writhed in pain on the ground. After a couple of moments he turned his attention back to Sam, his eyes flashing black once more.

Sam felt himself rapidly losing consciousness as it felt like his insides were melting.

Willing the pain to fade, Dean dragged himself toward the gun, hoping he'd get there before the demon could kill his brother.

"I can't wait to torture Chloe and little Michael," he whispered into Sam's ear, grinning and focusing on slowly killing him once more.

Finally reaching the gun, he stood and aimed at the demon's head. Coking the Colt, he let off the last shot and prayed that it hit its target dead on.

Sam suddenly tumbled to the ground in a heap, moaning.

The yellow eyed demon's eyes registered shock for the briefest of moments and then fell to the ground as well, dead.

Dean let out a breath he'd been holding and ran to his brother, dropping to his side and grabbing his face, "Sammy...Sammy talk to me."

He shuddered, his eyes rolling back in his head for a moment. "Is it dead?" he whispered.

"Yeah. He's dead."

He lay still for a moment, a hand pressed to his stomach. "It's over..."

"After all these years." Dean whispered. Looking his brother over, he bit his lip, "Can you stand dude?"

Sam exhaled slowly. "I think so." He slowly pushed himself off the ground, groaning. "You saved my life."

"It's what brothers are for." He said, helping the younger stand.

He shut his eyes, not caring if Dean got pissed at him as he wrapped his arms around his brother in a hug. It was finally over.

To his surprise, Dean found himself hugging his brother back.

"Come on. Let's get you back to Chloe and your son," Sam murmured, his body tired as he turned to head for the car.

He turned with his brother, but his steps faltered and he felt himself falling to the ground.

"Dean?" He turned back around slowly to see his brother collapse to the ground. "Dean!" He quickly knelt down beside him, ignoring his own pain.

Dean closed his eyes and swallowed, pain beginning to flare up within him, "God..."

"What's happening? What's wrong?" Sam looked at him, fear rising up within him.

"I don't...I don't know." He whispered.

"All right, hang on man, you're gonna be fine." He reached into his coat pocket and grabbed his cell phone, dialing 911 and calling for an ambulance.

Dean put his hand up to his brother's arms, "Don't."

"Don't what?" he asked in confusion.

"Just...don't." He said as the pain hit him in a wave, "God...my stomach..."

"Dean, we need to get you to the hospital!" Sam hesitated, afraid to pick him up and cause him more pain.

"Then give it...a minute."

Swallowing hard, he nodded slightly, unable to rid himself of the dread he felt. "I'm gonna take a look at your stomach." He reached out and slowly pulled Dean's shirt up, his face paling.

When he didn't hear Sam respond, he opened his eyes, "How...bad?"

Sam felt sick. "You're gonna be fine." He quickly reached for his phone again, his face pale with shock.

"Somehow...I know...you're lying."

He put in the order for the ambulance, his words urgent, fearful. "Just...try not to move, Dean."

"M proud of you." He whispered, eyes beginning to drift shut.

"Hey, look at me!" Sam reached out and patted his cheek. "Keep your eyes open!"

Dean opened his eyes slowly, "You...tell Chloe...I'm sorry."

"No way. Don't even talk like that, Dean! You promised her!"

"Some promises...get...broken."

"Not this one!" he said fiercely. "You're not gonna die, you hear me?"

He smiled slightly, a shadow of his normal, snarky one, "You get to take care of them now."

"Dean, don't even go there. They don't need me, they need you!"

The smile faded away from Dean's face and the pain hit again, making his breathing ragged. He knew he didn't have much time left, "I'll...be...there."

"Hell yes you will be. You and Chloe are gonna get married and have at least one more kid. Michael needs a little brother to look after. Even if he turns out to be a pain in the ass." Sam's voice was choked.

"And...he'll...get one. Just...not...by...me."

"Dean, don't say that. Come on, man. The sirens...you hear 'em?"

He shook his head and looked toward the sky, "I hear...I hear music."

"What?" Sam felt another wave of dread wash over him.

"Kinda...like what mom used to sing." He breathed out.

Tears burned his eyes. "Dean...don't...they need you, man. And so do I. We can't do this without you."

"Yes you can. And...you will. I know you will." His eyes began to flicker, and breathing became a struggle, but his body was numb.

A soft sob escaped him. "Yeah, but I don't want to," he whispered.

Dean reached a hand weakly up to Sam's face, "I...believe...in you."

A tear slipped down his cheek. "You always have."

"And...you know...what else?"

He shut his eyes, swallowing hard. "What?"

"I...love you...man."

What was left of Sam's heart broke. "I love you, too, Dean. You've always been there for me. Always...I don't know how I can do this without you."

"You'll do it. And...I'll...be...watching." He sucked in another pained breath, "You...take care...of Chloe...and Michael..."

Another tear fell. "I will. I swear it," he whispered, his voice breaking.

"And...if you...ruin the car...I'll...haunt...your ass."

"I'll take are of it too." He swallowed hard.

Dean let his hand drop, "Good...s'good..." and his eyes closed.

Sam slowly laid his head down on his brother's chest, the sound of ambulance sirens ringing in his ears as he wept.

He could hear his brother sobbing in the distance, but couldn't come back to him. He was just so tired. Hearing his name, he turned around and moved toward it. Drawing his last breath, Dean Winchester fell into an eternal sleep.

* * *

Chloe started suddenly, unsure of what had woken her from her restless sleep, a feeling of unease sweeping over her as she looked around the hospital room. In the corner, Clark stood, cradling Michael in his arms silently as he stared out the window. Her eyebrows furrowing, she looked toward the door. "Dean?" she whispered, seeing him standing there, perfectly still for a moment.

"Dean?" She shoved her blankets aside and slid off the bed, confused as he simply gazed at her without speaking.

And then he was gone.

Her eyes welled with tears. "God, please, no," she whispered, lifting a hand to her mouth. "No!"

Clark's head whipped over to Chloe, as her yell startled him out of his thoughts, "Chloe...what's wrong?"

She slowly sank to her knees, weeping. "He's gone, Clark...he's gone."

He got up and knelt next to her, cradling Michael even closer, "What do you mean?"

"Dean's...he's gone," she whimpered, laying on the cold tile floor.

Shock swept over him, and somehow, he knew she was right. "Oh god. Chloe..."

She didn't hear him as she sobbed brokenly, her heart shattered beyond repair.


	7. Chapter 7

When the paramedics finally showed up, Sam was clutching his brother's body tightly to him, willing life back into him. Hoping beyond all hope that Dean would live. Sobs were wracking his entire body as the paramedics all but pried Dean's lifeless body out of his hands. When they had loaded him onto a stretcher, they began trying to revive him as they got into the ambulance.

Sam vaguely remembered one of the paramedics asking if he wanted to go with them, and he must've nodded, because the next minute, he was in the back of the ambulance, staring numbly at his brother as they tried to bring him back.

When they got to the hospital, Sam just stood in a daze as they rushed Dean away. Walking to the nurses station, he asked quietly where Chloe's room was, then made his way down there, not knowing how he was going to explain anything to her.

Clark held Chloe in his arms as she cried, his own heart breaking at the sight. He'd never seen anyone in so much pain before. Not even his mom when his father had died. He swallowed hard, tears stinging his own eyes. He heard the footsteps approaching the room and turned to see Sam standing in the doorway.

Walking into the room, Sam knelt beside Chloe, suddenly aware that he was covered in his brother's blood. He didn't care though, at least something of him was left.

Sensing his presence, Chloe turned her head toward him, pulling away from Clark and reaching for him instead. "Sam..." Her voice broke.

He held her and began rocking the both of them, tears spilling freely down his face, "I'm so sorry...so sorry."

She pressed her face against his shoulder, weeping softly.

"He seemed fine...and then he wasn't..."

She shuddered in his arms, barely hearing his words as she clung to him.

He and Michael were all she had left.

They were all that was left of Dean.

***

Chloe lay in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the television but not really seeing it. One hand was pressed lightly against her wounded stomach. It had taken 27 stitches to sew up the gash and the doctor had wanted to know who had done that to her.

She'd stared at him for a moment before saying she didn't know. Not like he would've believed her if she'd told him the truth. Beside her, Sam sat in the chair, his own face pale and forlorn. Closing her eyes she didn't even hear the doctor come in a few moments later and say her name.

"Ms. Sullivan." The doctor called again, a little louder when she didn't turn.

Slowly opening her eyes, she looked at him in silence for a moment. "Yeah?" Her voice was dull.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, voice gently as he walked up beside her bed.

Chloe wondered what she was supposed to say. That she felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest? No. That wasn't what he meant, she realized after a few moments. "All right," she murmured, looking away.

Nodding, he lifted up her gown to check her stitches, "Good." He looked up at her after completing his exam, "It's good to see mother and baby healthy."

She shut her eyes, feeling her chest grow tight. "Thanks to his daddy," she whispered.

Looking down at the chart, the doctor smiled slightly, "You know, if that wound would've gone any deeper, it would've hurt the baby. You're very lucky."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry?" She looked at him, shaking her head a little.

He put the chart back and frowned at her confused look, "You...didn't know you were pregnant?"

Chloe stared at him, her heart clenching. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. She turned her head to look at Sam with wide eyes.

Sam looked back, his expression almost mirroring hers.

The doctor looked between the two, "Congratulations again Dad."

Looking up at the doctor, Sam shook his head, "I'm...no. I'm not the father."

"Oh...well, send my congrats on to him when he comes."

Tears prickled at her eyelids and she held her breath, unable to respond. She swallowed hard to stifle a sob.

Furrowing his eyebrows, the doctor stepped towards the door, "I'm going leave you two alone, I'll be back to check on you later."

Pressing her face against the pillow, she trembled as the tears spilled down her cheeks and blotted the pillowcase beneath her.

Standing up, Sam slid onto the bed and positioned himself behind her and held her close, his own tears beginning to fall again.

A soft sob escaped her as she felt his arms surround her. Closing her eyes tightly she covered his arm with her own. "This isn't fair," she whispered brokenly.

"I know." He whispered back, trying to keep his own grief at bay, "He should be here."

"What are we gonna do without him?"

"I don't know."

"I don't think I can do this, Sam," she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"You have to. And I'll be here too. We have to stay for Michael, and this baby."

She pressed a hand to her face, taking a deep, shuddering breath. He was right. Life was going to carry on, even if they didn't want it to. And she owed it to her kids to keep going.

She owed it to Dean.

* * *

The funeral had been a small one. Consisting of Chloe, Sam, Michael, and a few hunters and friends that they'd come to trust over the years. Sam knew that's how Dean would've wanted it. Actually, he probably would've wanted a party with a lot of booze and some frisky women.

After everyone had offered their condolences to the grieving family and left, all that remained at Dean's graveside were him, Chloe, and Michael, who was fast asleep, unaware that he'd never hear his father's voice, or be held by him ever again.

She stared at the flower-covered casket with blurry eyes, her hair billowing gently in the cool spring breeze. "It should have been me, " she whispered.

Putting his arm around her, Sam shook his head, "Don't say that."

She leaned against him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I always knew the risks, you know? I just never..." She couldn't finish.

"Neither did I." He whispered, staring at the casket as well.

Chloe swallowed hard, shutting her eyes tightly. "This baby's never gonna meet his father," she whispered.

He nodded, sadness overwhelming him once again at the thought.

She looked down at where Michael lay asleep in his stroller, blissfully unaware of what was happening. She slowly pulled away from Sam, moving closer to the casket and laying the red rose on top of it, her hand resting against the smooth wood. "I love you," she whispered.

A warm, soft wind swirled around her, seeming to whisper to her as she said those words.

A faint smile touched her lips as she felt the warm sunshine touch her cheek, like a gentle caress from heaven. "Goodbye."

Sam came forward and knelt beside the casket and put a hand on it, "I'm gonna miss you." Tears began to flow down his face again, and he looked up, "Give 'em hell up there."

Chloe swallowed hard, moving back over to the stroller and pressing a soft kiss to her son's forehead, a tear dripping down her cheek.

After another minute of kneeling, Sam slowly stood and walked over to Chloe, "We should go."

"I know," she whispered, not looking up at him.

Getting behind the stroller, he took the brakes off and began to push it, Chloe walking beside him. As they walked over to the Impala, Sam had to wipe more stray tears away. It still smelled like his brother every time he got in, and he hoped that would never change. Throwing one last glance back at his grave, he made a silent promise that he'd always watch over Chloe and her children.

Come what may.


End file.
